FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a golf practice device to assist the golfer in keeping his concentration focused during the striking of the ball. The device is employed primarily on the green but may be used on the tee or fairway.
One of the basic criticisms given to a golfer when he has mishit a ball is that during the course of the stroke he has failed to keep his head down. This criticism applies to putting, teeing off, or making fairway shots. The golfer without concentration tends to turn his head to follow the flight of the ball and as a result is not looking at the ball at the time the club contacts the ball.
There have been numerous devices developed to aid the golfer with this problem referred to as "peeking".
Tees have been developed with arrows radially extending from the tee to permit the golfer to line up his stance properly prior to hitting the ball. Such tees have a colored area thereon for holding the golfer's concentration to a particular area of the ball. However, tees are not permitted on the greens or fairways so that only one portion of the golfer's game can be benefitted by such a tee.
Tees also are known which have a light thereon so that after the golfer has struck the ball he observes the light as the ball leaves the tee and the club passes over the tee indicating that his head, shoulders and eyes were properly oriented during the swing.
Heretofore, there is no known device which will benefit a golfer's game off the tee, on the fairway and on the green.
It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a practice device to aid the golfer's concentration in striking the ball whether the ball is on the tee, fairway or green.
A further object is to provide such a practice device cheaply so that it can be used by the entire golfing public.
Another object is to provide a practice device of such a size that it can easily be carried in the golfer's pocket.
The present invention is constituted of a colored crescent shaped plate device which in use does not touch the ball but fits under the ball while the ball is on the tee, fairway or green and is unseen by the golfer until after the ball is stroked. The plate may contain at most two protrusions for fixing the device to the ground. The device may be molded from a plastic material such as polyethylene, polystyrene or polyurethane or made of metal. The color of the device should be one which catches the eye, e.g. yellow, but may be of any color which contrasts with the ground from which the ball is being struck.
The golf ball under which the device is applied conforms to United States Golf Association and the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews Rules which state that the weight of the ball shall not be greater than 1.620 ounces and the diameter of the ball shall not be less than 1.680 inches.
The positioning of the device while the ball is teed up is easy because of the space between the ball and the ground. However, when the ball is to be in contact with the ground upon being stroked, it is necessary to pick up the ball before positioning the device. If it is desired to position the device without being required to move the ball, it is necessary that the device have a hand holdable extension which permits the golfer to position the device beneath the horizontal projection of the ball without having the device come into contact with the ball. The extension is of a color compatible with the surface upon which the ball is resting.
Other details and features of the invention will stand out from the description given below by way of non-limitative example and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: